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Christian Epic
C.S. Lewis's Lost Aeneid: Arms and the Exile, A.T. Reyes, ed., Yale University Press, 256 pages
Virgil's Aeneid opened a "mass of religious ideas" to a teenaged C.S. Lewis. The Roman epic poem, combined with Lewis's tradition of rigorous skepticism up to that point, forced the young man to consider two ideas, neither of which was wholly compatible with the other. The tension resulting from these two notions would raise a number of important questions in the person who would become perhaps the finest Christian apologist of the 20th century.
First, Lewis thought, the Aeneid proved that Virgil's form of Roman paganism was a whole and comprehensive religion, legitimate in itself, and therefore equal to Christianity in its scope and strength. After all, Lewis reasoned—a bit cynical from the shallow pieties imposed upon him by his schooling—"In the midst of a thousand such religions" stood Christianity, assumed by many to be "true." In reality, he thought, Christianity was merely the "thousand and first" religion.
More importantly for Lewis, a second idea arose in the form of a question. What if Christianity, rather than being one religion among a thousand and one, were true because it answered the longings of the earlier faiths? What if, rather than seeing various paganisms in opposition to one another and to Christianity, one saw Christianity as the fulfillment of all previous religions? Could there exist a line of continuity between the ancient and the Christian?
Thoughts of this kind shaped some of the most incisive minds of the 20th century. Though he may not have recognized them as such, Lewis had intellectual allies in Romano Guardini, Christopher Dawson, Jacques Maritain, T.S. Eliot, Eric Voegelin, Russell Kirk, Hans urs von Balthasar, and Carl Ratzinger, to name a few. Friends closer to home, such as J.R.R. Tolkien and Owen Barfield, not only asked the same questions but did so in the same college rooms as Lewis, finding answers together through their Oxford literary society, the Inklings.
As Lewis would explain:
Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference, that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remember that it is God's myth where the others are men's myths: i.e. the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things.'
Myth, properly understood, means "story," but especially in terms of man's relationship to the divine in history. One would be hard pressed to find words better describing the Christian humanist impulse of the 20th century.
As Lewis came to realize, the Aeneid provides one of the finest bridges possible between the ancient and Christian worlds. Famously, at least from the Christian standpoint, Virgil seems to have predicted the coming of the Incarnate Word in his Fourth Eclogue, leading Dante to choose the Roman poet as his guide through the Inferno and the Purgatorio.
The last great age the Sybil told has come;
The new order of centuries is born;
The Virgin now returns, and the reign of Saturn;
The new generation now comes down from heaven.
Lucina, look with favor on this child,
—Lucina, goddess, pure—this child by whom
The Age of Iron gives way to the Golden Age.
Equally important, one cannot read St. Augustine's City of God without seeing innumerable references to the Aeneid, with Augustine claiming Virgil's eternal city of Rome to be a shadow of the real eternal city, the New Jerusalem.
C.S. Lewis's Lost Aeneid shows just how great an influence Virgil's epic poem was upon a later Christian apologist. An Oxford- and Harvard-trained classicist and now a teacher of classics at Groton, A.T. Reyes has done an admirable job editing Lewis's previously unpublished translation of parts of the Aeneid. During his life, Lewis only completed translations of two of the epic's 12 books. Books 1 and 2 appear here in full. But only fragments of Books 3 through 7 and Book 12 remain. No reader should purchase Lewis's Lost Aeneid expecting a complete translation or even a comprehensive introduction to Lewis's thought on Virgil.
Reyes's book is deep rather than broad. Within the constraints Lewis's extant papers place upon any scholarly study, Reyes does a fine job of explaining the text, comparing Lewis's translation to the original, and discussing the nuances of the poem itself. Most importantly, though, especially for someone interested in Lewis and his voluminous writings, Reyes provides an index of every reference to the Aeneid throughout Lewis's corpus, attempting to find what words Lewis might have used had he continued his translation beyond November 22, 1963. (Should the reader need an exact index to every reference to Virgil in Lewis's scholarly writings, he should turn to Walter Hooper's C.S. Lewis: A Complete Guide.)
What will most spark the imagination of Lewis aficionados in this book is not Lewis's translations, incomplete in scope and thought. Rather, Lost Aeneid forces one to reevaluate the role of Virgil's poetic and intellectual pull not only on Lewis but by extension on 20th-century Christian humanism. Frankly, the implications are huge, especially if one compares Lewis's thought on Virgil with that of another literary giant, Theodor Haecker (whose Virgil, Father of The West was edited by Christopher Dawson). As much as I admire both Lewis and Virgil and have studied each extensively, I had never made a strong connection between the two until seeing C.S. Lewis's Lost Aeneid.
Perhaps I should have.
Intrigued, I went back through Lewis's letters, scholarly works, and fiction to trace the influence. I will never be able to look at Lewis in the same way again. From the earliest part of his intellectual awakening to his very deathbed, Lewis was enrapt by the Aeneid. Truly, the ghost of Virgil haunted the great Christian apologist.
In the middle of his academic career, Lewis revealed explicitly the influence of Virgil in two of his best essays, "Virgil and the Subject of Secondary Epic" and "Historicism." In the former, Lewis described the Aeneid as brilliant precisely because it satisfied Roman longings. Unlike the Greeks, who seemed only to care about eternal things, believing time to be "mere flux," Virgil's poetry proved incarnate and sacramental, recognizing things as eternal within the necessity and bounds of time.
Virgil, Lewis argued, took "one single national legend and treat[ed] it in such a way that we feel the vaster theme to be somehow implicit in it." Further, Virgil offered the listener or reader "a legendary past and yet make[s] us feel the present, and the intervening centuries, already foreshadowed." For the Romans, time, space, place, and family mattered. As Lewis persuasively claimed, Virgil's Aeneid speaks to us because, like the hero Aeneas, we know ourselves to be a remnant, "survivors, and, as it were ghosts," Old Western Men trapped in the whirligig of modernity and postmodernity. The old, the ancient, and the venerable become key words in the Aeneid, Lewis believed. But not content with the traditions of the past, the attentive reader of the Aeneid also realizes that "Latium—Lurkwood, the hind place of aged Saturn—has been waiting for the Trojans from the beginning of the world."
As Lewis understood it, the Aeneid represents a critical moment in history, the hinge upon which the door of the world opens, introducing the age of paganism to the age of Christianity—"the little remnant, the reliquias, of the old, [developing] into the germ of the new." Lewis is no reactionary devoid of hope for the future.
As with the Christian humanists of the 20th century, Aeneas "is a ghost of Troy until he becomes the father of Rome." He "is compelled to see something more important than happiness," obedience and duty, recognizing eternal Justice as that which orders all things, including our roles within the community of the living and the dead. "To follow the vocation," as Aeneas did, "does not mean happiness: but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow."
Lewis's Space Trilogy—Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength, some of the best fiction of the century past—especially bears the imprint of Virgil. Who cannot read of the hero Ransom's ultimate victory, with the figure of Venus descending upon the House of St. Anne's, named after the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and not think of Venus, the mother of Aeneas, betraying her own father to help her son?
Lewis's Venus possesses a voluptuous aura that fills the entire House of St. Anne's with the desire to live and to procreate. In the last paragraph of the finale of the trilogy, That Hideous Strength, the protagonist Jane—previously self-centered, unable to sacrifice for what she loves—walks out of the House of St. Anne's, itself sanctified by the very being of Venus. No real love can exist, Lewis argued, without sacrifice. There is no resurrection without the crucifixion. As Jane walks, she notices the area around the house, doused in "the liquid light and supernatural warmth of the garden and across the wet lawn (birds were everywhere) and past the see-saw and the greenhouse and the piggeries, going down all the time, down to the lodge, descending the ladder of humility," Lewis writes, and "she thought of her obedience and the setting of each foot before the other became a kind of sacrificial ceremony. And she thought of children, and of pain and death."
Plagued by the doubt that she is not worthy of the sacrifices made by her husband, she enters his lodge. With this, the book ends. But the reader is left with this thought: because sacrifice equals love, love too has its own rewards. Because of their respective sacrifices for one another, humanity, and God, Jane and her husband are about to experience their just rewards, thus continuing the story of goodness, truth, and beauty upon the future generation, just as the remnant of Aeneas, the armed exiles fated to found Rome, once did for the entirety of the West.
Brad Birzer is the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Professor of History at Hillsdale College and the author of American Cicero.


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Residents on parts of Vancouver Island are being told to brace for strong winds through the weekend.
In a special weather statement Saturday morning, Environment Canada said southeast winds will reach speeds of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour overnight in western and northern communities, as an approaching frontal system moves towards the Lower Mainland.
Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage.
Winds are expected to ease Sunday as the system weakens, the national forecaster said.
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subset: commoncrawl


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"I am not here to take marching orders from union bosses," said Mr. Poilievre. "I represent taxpayers and frankly taxpayers expect us to keep costs under control so that we can keep taxes down. It is for those taxpayers that we work. Not union bosses."
– May 1 Conservative Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Poilievre
Why do the most right-wing politicians and corporate news outlets always use the term "union boss"? Because the worst thing they can think of is to say the leader of a labour organization acts like a capitalist? Or the capitalist's lackey?
Perhaps the irony of insulting a democratically elected representative of workers by calling him/her a boss is beyond the understanding of most of the term's users, but it's interesting to point out nonetheless.
Apparently, right wing editorial page or news editors understand (at least at one level) that most working people are dissatisfied with the arbitrary power unelected bosses have over their lives. By associating unions with widely disliked bosses – the Ottawa Sun, for example, often calls a labour leader "union boss" multiple times in a short article – they act as if they believe this term will discredit labour leaders.
Strangely, one of the main reasons workers seek to unionize is to protect themselves from the arbitrary power of bosses. Often a desire for rules dealing with seniority and discipline, not better wages and benefits, is what prompts people to unionize. Unions fulfill workers' yearning for some workplace democracy.
In the process they challenge capitalists' control over the workplace. And by bringing some organizational structure to the amorphous working class, unions also weaken capitalist power in the political arena. This, of course, displeases media outlet owners, the bosses they hire and the right-wing editors whose job it is to be the sycophants of the rich and powerful one percent who run the world.
So, to please their bosses and the bosses of their bosses, these professional flatterers call union leaders "bosses". Am I the only one who finds this more than a little surreal?
Surely a really good capitalist bootlicker could come up with a more insulting word, one that wasn't in such direct conflict with their professed admiration for our economic system and all the real bosses who run it?
But nothing works quite like "boss" precisely because that word challenges the whole idea of workers democratically electing their leaders, which is what happens in most unions.
So, perhaps the epithet "union boss" is not really aimed at the presidents, secretary-treasurers or other heads of unions at all. Rather, it is an insult aimed at all workers, who these right-wing minions think are too stupid to participate in the democratic process of choosing a leader.
These yes men of the super rich cannot conceive of workers running their own organizations. When you make your living as a toady you have a hard time imagining anyone else thinking for him or herself. Instead you believe workers always take orders from bosses. After all that's what you do.
Yves Engler's latest book is The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper's foreign policy. For more information visit yvesengler.com


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Something resonated with you and brought you here, welcome!
- Did you resonate with the stories we shared?
- Do you share some of the same frustrations we help other clients with?
- Did you picture us working together?
- Did you just want to learn more about that voice you heard?
Whatever the reason, I'm glad you are here. You are a person of action.
You can find the resources I mentioned on the interview here. Make sure to look around the site to learn more and see the newest resources to help you.
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Did You See That?
There is so much happening on wine and food blogs, a lot of interesting material and some excellent writing and photography too. I want to step back and share some of the posts from the last month or so that made a big impression on me for one reason or another. This list by no means represents "the best" posts, or anything like that. Just some material that affected me in some way, and that I want to share with you just in case you didn't come across it yourself. Here they are, in no particular order:
Most of you read Vinography, Alder Yarrow's widely enjoyed blog. So you probably saw this piece on a Loire Valley family and a particular Sancerre. But just in case you didn't, or even if you did - take another look. Why did it impress me so? I learned something reading this piece, something about Sancerre, a Loire appellation that I pay no attention to but should, something about the Cotat family and about Les Monts Damnes vineyard. And the writing, in my opinion, is superb. There is some history, some details-for-wine-geeks information, and some descriptive tasting notes. Alder's personality and his opinions are threaded throughout the piece but they are not imposed upon the reader. After reading the piece, I understood that I must try this wine. This post is a model for me of what I want my wine profiles/reviews to be like.
I started reading Kitchen Chick when she hosted a Wine Blogging Wednesday back in November. She has quite the Chinese cooking and ingredients series going, really worth following if you enjoy that style of food. This post describes a pickled green beans and ground pork dish that looks delicious, and describes how she came to know this dish and to replicate it at home. What really impresses me, though, is how well the recipe is explained, how easy she makes it to give it a try. Made me think about including recipes when I write about food we cook. Easier said than done if you don't use recipes, and I usually don't.
And speaking of food, Fork and Bottle's review of Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller's new restaurant is a great example of what a restaurant review should be. It describes in detail every aspect of the dining experience - both the good and the bad. There are good photographs (how do they do that anyway - does the staff allow it, or do they shoot on the sly?) of the food so you get a better sense of what the restaurant is about. What really impresses me about this review is Jack and Joanne's committment to reporting their experience, which in this case, was not so good. They are not hesistant to pan the place even though Keller is some kind of restaurant-god. Too many reviewers work too hard to find some reason to recommend a restaurant. And most restaurants just aren't that good! Maybe it's because the job of restaurant reviewer demands generosity in that way, so bloggers are better suited to tell the truth. I don't pay any attention to restaurant critics who don't include negative reviews in their portfolio. With Jack and Joanne you can trust that they will call it as they see it.
And last but certainly not least, Jancis Robinson's site is a little frustrating to me because so many articles require membership ($120 annual) in order to access. I imagine that this is a fair price for the information she delivers (I am not a member and cannot verify this myself). Every now and then something noteworthy pops up in the "Free for All" portion of the site. This piece on recent vintages in Burgundy is simply excellent - great writing, so informative, and just plain thoughtful. This piece stimulates my own thinking, doesn't just tell me how to think. If this is any indication of what you get for your 120 clams, I may just have to join.
That's it for this month's installment of "Did You See That?" Please comment - I need to broaden my wine and food blog reading. Your suggestions are much appreciated.


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Physcial Sciences Division
Staff Awards & Honors
June 2013
Bullock Honored by Royal Society of Chemistry
Dr. Morris Bullock, Royal Society of Chemistry Homogeneous Catalysis Award
Dr. Morris Bullock, Director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center, based at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was selected to receive the Royal Society of Chemistry's Homogeneous Catalysis Award. The organization presents the award every two years.
Bullock was recognized for his "seminal work on transition metal hydrides, his pioneering use of inexpensive metals for homogeneous catalysis and the development of a new programme on molecular electrocatalysis."
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and are used to make a wide variety of industrial processes more efficient, including production of commercial chemical products, food processing, and energy production from alternate sources. Catalysts are used to improve fuel efficiency and reduce harmful emissions. Homogeneous catalysis focuses on using catalysts that are in the same liquid "phase" as the other substances.
Transition metal hydride catalysts have metals bonded to hydrogen. Replacing precious metals such as platinum with less expensive catalysts such as iron and nickel can result in both cost-savings and decreased environmental impacts. Additionally, the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis is focused on developing a comprehensive understanding of how chemical and electrical energy is stored and utilized for applications in the development of non-fossil fuel sources.
As part of the award, Bullock has been invited to deliver a lecture at four universities within the United Kingdom between October 2013 and May 2014. The award, including a medal, certificate, and an honorarium, will be presented at a symposium associated with one of the lectures.
Bullock joined PNNL in 2006 and has more than 110 publications overall during his career. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1979 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a doctorate in chemistry in 1983 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is the largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences and is supported by a worldwide network of members and an international publishing business. Their activities include education, conferences, science policy and the promotion of chemistry to the public.


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Experts say Obama's U.N. speech a 'right direction' on climate change
In his first speech before the United Nations, President Obama said the U.S. has done more to deal with climate change during the eight months of his presidency than it ever had before.
"We understand the gravity of the climate threat, we are determined to act, and we will meet our responsibility to future generations," Obama said.
A business leader and an environmental expert in Minnesota, who are paying close attention to the climate change discussions this week, say they mostly like what they're hearing.
Though they come at the issue from different perspectives, they both say the talks show the potential for positive change.
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But Obama hasn't committed to specific greenhouse gas reductions, and offered no dollar amount to help poor nations cope with climate change.
China promised to plant enough forest to cover an area the size of Norway, and said it will get 15 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources within a decade. China also committed to improving energy efficiency, and reducing the growth of its carbon pollution even as its economy continues to grow.
The U.S. and China combined account for about 40 percent of the world's greenhouse gas pollution, about 20 percent from each.
Though neither country made specific commitments, this is a big step for both nations, because both had refused to act until just a few months ago.
"We understand the gravity of the climate threat, we are determined to act, and we will meet our responsibility to future generations."
China said the developed nations should act first because they caused most of the problem, and many members of Congress had no interest in acting until it was clear China would agree to change as well.
J. Drake Hamilton, a Science Policy advisor at Fresh Energy, a Minnesota nonprofit that promotes legislation on climate change, said she credits China and Japan with taking steps that can end the chicken-and-egg problem.
"China put forth goals, Japan put forth goals that say that they're going to put binding targets on the table, and that leaves the door wide open for President Obama to commit the U.S. to similar action," Hamilton said.
But President Obama can't act alone. The House passed a climate bill in June; the big question is whether the Senate can even talk about it before next year, because it's so busy with the health care issue.
Hamilton said the Senate can act before a December meeting in Copenhagen that's planned to come up with a new world agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
"I think what's going to drive the action at the U.S. Senate is if more and more members of Congress really understand that what's at stake is the potential for a clean energy economy and the economic opportunities it's going to bring," Hamilton said.
She said China is motivated and ready to jump into new technologies that will bring energy efficiency and renewables to a waiting world market. She said that's a market U.S. companies should be going after, but what they need is clear policy from Washington to favor low-carbon technologies.
Mike Robertson, an environmental consultant with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and an expert on Minnesota's various attempts at climate change legislation, said businesses recognize that governments will have to deal with climate change, and they're eager to know what the rules will be. He said they'd like some degree of certainty after years of inaction.
"On the other hand, they're very concerned about what the cost might be," Robertson said. "How much are their energy costs going to increase, will they be able to compete, will this international agreement allow everybody to pay the same costs, and therefore the competition will be maintained?"
So far, Robertson said the cost of energy is the biggest issue for most Minnesota businesses. Historically, energy has been cheap in the state, and that's given companies here a competitive advantage in the global market. But, he said Minnesota's rules on efficiency and renewables have been driving energy costs up.
"So there is concern about that and whether they can maintain that advantage against some other economies," he said.
The Minnesota Chamber's position has always been that climate change needs to be addressed on a national and international level, so Robertson said the talk at the U.N. yesterday, and the G-20 meetings in Pittsburgh later this week, are steps in the right direction.


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Turkey begins offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria
Turkey launched airstrikes, fired artillery and began a ground offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria on Wednesday after U.S. troops pulled back from the area, paving the way for an assault on forces that have long been allied with the United States.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of the campaign, which followed an abrupt decision Sunday by U.S. President Donald Trump that American troops would step aside to allow for the operation.
Trump\'s move drew bipartisan opposition at home and represented a shift in U.S. policy that essentially abandoned the Syrian Kurdish fighters who have been America\'s only allies in Syria fighting the Islamic State group. After Erdogan announced the offensive, Trump called the operation "a bad idea."
There were signs of panic in the streets of residential areas close to the borders as civilians fled on foot, in cars and with rickshaws piled with mattresses and a few belongings. They included people who\'d fled from the Islamic State group only few years ago.
At least seven civilians and one member of the Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces were killed in the Turkish bombardment, Kurdish activists and a Syria war monitor said.
Near the town of Qamishli, plumes of smoke rose from an area close to the border after activists reported an explosion nearby. By nighttime, there were fires in one of the town\'s neighborhoods, apparently ignited by the shelling.
Turkey\'s Defense Ministry said Turkish ground forces, joined by allied Syrian opposition forces, had moved across the border into Syria. Shortly after, SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said its fighters had repelled the Turkish ground attack in Tal Abyad.
Earlier, a U.S. defense official and a Kurdish official in Syria said the SDF has suspended operations against IS militants because of the Turkish operation. The officials who confirmed the suspension spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details on the situation.
Turkey\'s campaign — in which a NATO member is raining down bombs on an area where hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed — drew immediate criticism and calls for restraint from Europe. In his statement, Trump emphasized that there are no American soldiers in the area under attack.
"Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area," Erdogan said in a tweet announcing what he called "Operation Peace Spring."
He said that Turkish forces, with Ankara-backed Syrian fighters known as the Syrian National Army, had begun to eradicate what he called "the threat of terror" against Turkey.
Minutes before Erdogan\'s announcement, Turkish jets began pounding suspected positions of Syrian Kurdish forces in the town of Ras al Ayn, according to Turkish media and Syrian activists. The sound of explosions could be heard in Turkey.
It was difficult to know what was hit in the first hours of the operation.
Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said Turkish warplanes were targeting "civilian areas" in northern Syria, causing "a huge panic" in the region.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those killed in the Turkish bombardments included two Christian Assyrians in Qamishli, a married couple and their child, a man in a village outside of the town of Tal Abyad, and a child in a village west of Qamishli.
Before Turkey\'s attack, Syrian Kurdish forces that are allied with the United States warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe."
The Turkish operation meant to create a "safe zone" carries potential gains and risk for Turkey by getting even more deeply involved in the Syria war. It also would ignite new fighting in Syria\'s 8-year-old war, potentially displacing hundreds of thousands.
A resident of Tal Abyad said one of the bombs hit an SDF office, and he fled with his wife and mother by car to Raqqa, nearly 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the south, to flee the bombing. The resident, who gave his name as Maher, said the road to Raqqa was packed with vehicles and families, some fleeing on foot "to get away from the bombing."
"People fled and left everything behind," he said in a text message after he reached safety.
Turkey has long threatened to attack the Kurdish fighters that Ankara considers terrorists allied with a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey. Expectations of an invasion increased after Trump\'s announcement Sunday, although he also threatened to "totally destroy and obliterate" Turkey\'s economy if the Turkish push went too far.
U.S. critics said he was sacrificing an ally, the Syrian Kurdish forces, and undermining Washington\'s credibility. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, told "Fox & Friends" that if Trump "follows through with this, it would be the biggest mistake of his presidency."
Trump later said the U.S. "does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea."
Trump said he made clear from the start of his political career that "I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars — especially those that don\'t benefit the United States. Turkey has committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place — and we will hold them to this commitment."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, while noting that Turkey "has legitimate security concerns" after suffering "horrendous terrorist attacks" and hosting thousands of refugees, said the country should not "further destabilize the region" with its military action in Syria.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas condemned the offensive, saying it will "further destabilize the region and strengthen IS." The operation also was criticized by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
The EU is paying Turkey 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) to help the country cope with almost 4 million Syrian refugees on its territory in exchange for stopping migrants leaving for Europe.
Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency\'s communications director, urged the international community to rally behind Ankara, which he said would take over the fight against the Islamic State group.
Turkey aimed to "neutralize" Syrian Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria and to "liberate the local population from the yoke of the armed thugs," Altun wrote in a Washington Post column published Wednesday.
Erdogan discussed the incursion by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Erdogan\'s office said he told Putin the military action "will contribute to the peace and stability" and allow for a political process in Syria.
In its call for a general mobilization, the local civilian Kurdish authority known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria asked the global community to live up to its responsibilities as "a humanitarian catastrophe might befall our people."
The Kurds also said they want the U.S.-led coalition to set up a no-fly zone in northeastern Syria to protect the civilian population from Turkish airstrikes.
The U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish group urged Moscow to broker talks with the Syrian government in Damascus in light of the Turkish operation. The Syrian Kurdish-led administration said it is responding positively to calls from Moscow encouraging the Kurds and the Syrian government to settle their difference through talks.
Syria\'s Foreign Ministry condemned Turkey\'s plans, calling it a "blatant violation" of international law and vowing to repel an incursion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Washington of playing "very dangerous games" with the Syrian Kurds, saying the U.S. first propped up the Syrian Kurdish "quasi state" in Syria and now is withdrawing support.
"Such reckless attitude to this highly sensitive subject can set fire to the entire region, and we have to avoid it at any cost," he said in Kazakhstan.
Earlier Wednesday, three IS militants targeted the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa, once the de facto IS capital at the height of the militants\' power. An activist collective in Raqqa reported an exchange of fire and an explosion; the Observatory said two IS fighters engaged in a shootout before blowing themselves up.
IS claimed responsibility, saying one of its members killed or wounded 13 SDF members.
The SDF, which holds thousands of IS fighters in detention facilities in northeastern Syria, has warned that a Turkish incursion might lead to the resurgence of the extremists. The U.S.-allied Kurdish-led force captured the last IS area controlled by the militants in eastern Syria in March.
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Notice Number: NOT-OD-06-005
Key Dates
Release Date: October 13, 2005
Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
On March 14, 2002, NIH published an announcement entitled, "Planned Modification of Rights to Subject Inventions Made Through Funding Agreements to Foreign Entities (NOT-OD-02-039)" https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-039.html, stating an intent to revise policy affecting invention rights for foreign grant and contract award recipients. Subsequent announcements on August 8, 2002 ["Planned Change in Invention Rights For Foreign Grantees/Contractors Deferred" (NOT-OD-02-065) (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-065.html)] and on September 4, 2003 ["Deferral of Planned Change in Invention Rights for Foreign Grantees/Contractors Extended" (NOT-OD-03-063) (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-063.html)] deferred this proposal.
After consideration of various comments contributed by the foreign grantee/contractor community, by the U.S. grantee/contractor community to maintain the current NIH policy in this area, and by internal governmental discussions regarding the ramifications and implementation issues for effecting such a policy change, the NIH has decided to maintain its general policy by continuing to allow foreign entities to retain rights in intellectual property developed under NIH funding agreements (grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, subgrants, and subcontracts), consistent with current NIH policies and any other terms and conditions of the specific funding agreement awarded.
The NIH continues to be committed to protecting the U.S. public's interest and improving public health worldwide through effective handling of intellectual property rights for U.S. and foreign grantee/contractors. Accordingly, for subject inventions developed with federal funding, foreign grantees and contractors are reminded to meet their obligations under the funding agreements including the following:
(1) In order for grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to any such subject inventions, grantees and contractors must timely comply with the invention reporting requirements set forth in 37 CFR 401.14. These responsibilities are further detailed at https://s-edison.info.nih.gov/iEdison/timeline.jsp;
(2) Grantees and contractors are expected to take effective steps to achieve practical application of any such subject inventions in a timely manner;
(3) The U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the United States the subject invention throughout the world. Accordingly, grantees and contractors must protect the U.S. Government's interest as set forth in 37 CFR 401.14(f), such as by: (i) citing U.S. Government support within the specification of any U.S. patent application for any subject inventions and (ii) providing the U.S. Government with a confirmatory license for subject inventions; and
(4) If a grantee or contractor grants to any person the exclusive right to use or sell any subject invention in the United States, any products embodying the subject invention or produced through the use of the subject invention will be manufactured substantially in the United States, absent a specific waiver of this requirement granted by the U.S. federal funding agency.
We believe that the current policy protects the U.S. public's interest while not unduly compromising productive research and intellectual property relationships. However, the NIH will continue to monitor this matter. If there is a significant decrease in reporting of subject inventions associated with foreign grantees or contractors receiving federal funding or if any significant public health or safety issues arise related to subject inventions developed by foreign grantees and contractors, the NIH may revisit this policy and consider whether a change will be needed based on the circumstances at that time.
For additional information on this notice, please contact:
J.P. Kim, J.D., M.B.A., M.Sc., M.A.L.S.
Director & Policy Officer,
Division of Extramural Inventions & Technology Resources (DEITR),
Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA),
Office of Extramural Research (OER),
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7980
Bethesda, MD 20892-7980
Telephone: (301) 435-0679
Fax: (301) 480-0272
Email: email@example.com
Edison Website: http://www.iedison.gov
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
Office of Extramural Research (OER) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
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The big improvements always get all the glory, but what about all those little projects around the house?
Sure, they may not be as gratifying as ripping out cabinets, but tackling necessary home maintenance chores now will save you big headaches down the road. So before you undertake another huge home improvement, check out these projects that you might have neglected.
Clean exhaust fans
Bathroom exhaust fans play an important role in reducing odor as well as moisture, which helps prevent mold and mildew. And attic or ventilation fans are designed to expel hot air from the top of a home and draw cooler air in. This helps save energy and reduces the potential for costly heat-related damage to the roof or roof framing.
Fans should be cleaned and wiped down every three months to ensure they are functioning properly.
Fix window seals
Once a window seal is broken, problems are created that homeowners can't see until major damage occurs.
Those problems include moisture, condensation, mildew, mold, and wood rot, which build up in the window framing and eventually move into the wall. Entire window frames and even sections of flooring can eventually rot, due to the moisture seeping in through missing or damaged window caulk.
Homeowners should inspect their windows twice a year, and repair any cracked or torn caulk, rubber seals, or damaged wood as soon as possible.
Repair foundation cracks
Foundation cracks can naturally develop over time. And though tiny cracks may not be a problem at first, it's a good idea to patch them before they increase in size. Large cracks could result in your having to replace the foundation completely, which could cost you big bucks.
Lube your garage door springs
Preserve the longevity of your garage door with some simple maintenance, so you won't have to replace it sooner than needed.
Be sure to apply a lubricant annually to the rollers, hinges, and tracks. Since garage doors have a heavy workload, use a heavy-duty lubricant such as silicon spray or motor oil.
Drain the water heater
Water heaters naturally build up mineral deposits over time. This forms a thick, crusty coating that will begin to chip off and clog faucets, drains, and the water heater valve. Such deposits can also cause your water heater to run constantly, which can crack the inner lining and run up your utility bills.
The good news is that the fix is simple. Every six to 12 months, place a small bucket underneath the drain valve on your water heater and drain the sediment out of the tank.
Check out your crawl space
One commonly overlooked area of the home is the crawl space below your house. Just like any other part of a home, it needs maintenance and can save a home from costly damage.
Avoid that possibility by laying a vapor barrier or installing a humidifier to protect against mold, water damage, and termites. This can improve the air quality of a house as well.
Caulk your kitchen sink
The sink is subject to daily wear and tear. And the chemicals in cleansers added to the frequent exposure to water, can damage the caulking. Avoid leakage under the sink, with the simple fix of recaulking.
Removing all traces of the old caulking is key and a trusty utility knife will do the trick. Clean up any loose grout, rinse off the area, let it dry completely, and you're ready to caulk.
Questions? Contact ASJ Mortgage Solutions Today!


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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Feb. 1, 2013 – In the narrow streets of a small village in eastern Afghanistan in 2009, a patrol comprised of Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers were conversing with locals, when suddenly an insurgent appeared out of a corner and targeted a Marine.
Marine Corps Sgt. Dennis Rollins, 27 from Colorado Springs, Colo., stood out on his first deployment to Iraq in 2006 and has since supported several special operations missions. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Laura Cardoso (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Time froze for Sgt. Dennis Rollins as the attacker pulled the trigger. Without hesitation, one of the ANA soldiers jumped in front of him. The bullet missed and no one was injured, but the bonds formed between those Marines and soldiers were solidified from then on.
Rollins, a supervisor here with Wire Platoon, Communications Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, was on his second deployment supporting a special operations mission when this incident occurred.
As an embedded staff advisor, his mission was to train and coexist with a total of 700 ANA soldiers for nearly a year. Rollins and one other Marine trained the men in everything from rifle skills to hand-to-hand combat. They lived in a mud hut nestled in a tiny village and ate, slept, and worked alongside these soldiers, helping to develop them into a functional security force.
This was not the first time Rollins supported a special operations mission, he also served as security detail in the Philippines, where he spent seven months providing security to the ambassador and other high-ranking officials.
He was selected for that mission because of his exemplary actions in Iraq, where he was responsible for providing thousands of personnel with vital communication lines.
"I had little sleep then," Rollins recalled. "I would work 20-hour days, and when I did have free time I would take [various military-type classes] or [participate in Marine Corps Martial Arts Program] and help others around the base."
Today, eight years later, the 27-year-old Rollins, from Colorado Springs, Colo., has deployed six times to a combat zone. During these deployments he received more than two-dozen personal awards and decorations, to include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon.
What keeps a man so dedicated to the Corps and its values?
"Having an end-state," Rollins answered. "I did my best to get everyone home. I don't have a wife or child, but everyone else does. I'd look at their faces and think, 'I have to get everyone home.' How can I do that? Strive for excellence and continue forward."
Rollins just returned from his last deployment in December 2012 and checked into his new unit, CLR-17, where he is already making his mark.
"What sets Sgt. Rollins apart is that his numerous combat deployments have given him excellent leadership traits and a great deal of credibility with the Marines," said 1st Lt. Alexander Weinstein, a platoon commander with Wire Platoon, CLR-17, Communications Company. "We have no doubt he is a great asset to the platoon and will have a long career in the Marine Corps."
Out of hundreds of Marines, Rollins was selected to be Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Michael P. Barrett's roommate during his visit to Camp Pendleton in December 2012.
"I spent several hours with the sergeant major," Rollins said. "I learned some things [about leadership skills]. He listened to what I had to say and wanted to know how the Marines were doing."
Rollins said his goal is to become a chief warrant officer and retire in Hawaii. No matter where life takes him, he says he will never lose his Marine mindset.
"You strive for excellence, but every once in a while you see a glimpse of perfection," he said.


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To start: I'm fine, or I will be. (Better, Jason?)
To continue: If you ever have to go to the emergency room, don't forget to bring a book. It will distract you from Larry King in the waiting room and all the people he has on to yell at each other about Sarah Palin. It will give you something to do besides worry as you wait in the examination room and feel the blood flow out of you. It will keep you company as you stay awake all through the night waiting for someone who can fix you.
Make it a long book.
Find out why at Quiche Moraine.


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It is the first time an American city has directly attempted to limit soda portion sizes, and the soft-drink industry and others bitterly accused the three-term mayor of creating a "nanny state" and robbing New Yorkers of the right to decide for themselves.
"The people of New York City are much smarter than the New York City Health Department believes," Coca-Cola Co. said in a statement. "New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this. They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase."
The ban is expected to win approval from the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health and take effect as soon as March. City officials said they believe it will ultimately prove popular and push governments around the U.S. to adopt similar rules.
The ban would apply only to sweetened drinks over 16 ounces that contain more than 25 calories per 8 ounces. (A 12-ounce can of Coke has about 140 calories. Plastic bottles of Coke and other soft drinks often contain 20 ounces.)
It wouldn't affect diet soda, any drink that's at least 70 percent juice, or one that is at least half milk or milk substitute. Nor would it apply to drinks sold in many supermarkets or convenience stores. Businesses would face fines of $200 per failed inspection.
City officials said some calorie-heavy drinks such as Starbucks Frappuccinos would probably be exempted because of their dairy content, while Slurpees and Big Gulp drinks at 7-Eleven wouldn't be affected because the convenience stores are regulated as groceries.
Bloomberg said people who want to guzzle soda would still be free to order more than one drink. But he said restricting servings to 16 ounces each could help curb consumption.
"You tend to eat all of the food in the container. If it's bigger, you eat more. If somebody put a smaller glass or plate or bowl in front of you, you would eat less," the mayor said.
In announcing the proposal, health officials cited research linking sugary drinks to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. At the same time, City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the city has no intention of reducing portion sizes of solid foods.
"Sugar drinks are not the entire obesity epidemic, but they are uniquely, strongly associated with this rise in obesity over the last 30 years," Farley said. "There's something about sugar water, as a product, which leads to long-term weight gain."
The commissioner estimated that obesity-related illnesses in New York City cost $4 billion a year.
Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, said he believes the ban would be effective.
"Soft drinks are the single greatest source of added sugar in the American diet," said Brownell, who has campaigned for a soda tax to cut consumption.
Stefan Friedman, spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, argued the ban would do little to reduce New Yorkers' waistlines, pointing to federal data showing that calories from sugary drinks are a declining portion of American diets even as obesity increases.
At a Burger King in Manhattan, retired postal worker Bobby Brown didn't like the mayor's idea, saying people should be "free to choose what they drink or eat."
But Joseph Alan, a chauffeur eating at a nearby Subway, said his overweight friends' eating habits ultimately affect him, too: "I tell them, 'This is affecting our insurance, because charges go up more treating people with diabetes and other health problems. I don't want to pay more for health insurance so people have these drinks!' "
Under Bloomberg, New York has campaigned aggressively against obesity, outlawing trans fats in french fries and other restaurant food and forcing chain restaurants to list calories on menus. The mayor has also led efforts to ban smoking in the city's bars, restaurants, parks and beaches.
His administration has tried other ways to discourage soda consumption. The mayor supported a state tax on sodas, but the measure died in the Legislature, and he tried to restrict the use of food stamps to buy soda, an idea federal regulators rejected.
Legal experts said the soft drink industry may mount a challenge to the new rule by arguing that it's arbitrary or internally inconsistent.


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The official who leads the Pentagon's plan to ensure better value to taxpayers and warfighters from the Defense Department's budget provided an update on progress to industrial leaders yesterday.
Ten months after introducing the 23-point "Better Buying Power" initiative, Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, spoke to the National Defense Industrial Association about progress made toward maximizing every dollar spent.
The initiative is built on targeting affordability, rewarding productivity, promoting competition, improving tradecraft and reducing bureaucracy to get the most out of each Defense Department budget dollar.
"For every 30 cents we spend to develop and acquire a defense system, we spend 70 cents to sustain them, resulting in a $100 million annual maintenance budget," he said. "For every 45 cents we spend on goods, weapons systems and things, we spend 55 cents on services, for a total of $200 million."
The point, he added, is that Pentagon officials need to take a comprehensive look at spending, including things that can become options in meeting President Barack Obama's mandate to save money while keeping national security in mind.
"President Obama's planned defense budgets are robust," he said. "They're strong and will stay so. We are, after all, involved in two major ongoing conflicts [and] operations in Libya, and the world is still a dangerous place."
But Obama, Pentagon leadership and Congress also have made it clear that the national security budget — which includes the defense budget and totals about 20 percent of the total federal budget — must be a part of the overall purchase equation over the next dozen years, Carter told the group.
"President Obama specifically [wants] over $400 million in reductions over the next 12 years," he said. "To assess how to accomplish the task the president has laid out, the department has undertaken a comprehensive review of the impact of such reductions, … and that review is ongoing."
The way government and industrial leaders think must change, Carter said.
"This new era will require a different mindset for our government and industry managers — you and us — and their congressional overseers," Carter told the industry leaders.
"[We are] a generation who has grown accustomed over the post-9/11 decade to circumstances in which we could always reach for more money when we encountered managerial or technical problems or a difficult choice," he said. "Those days are gone."
And it's not simply a matter of cutting from our current plans and activities, he noted.
"Cutting capability and adjusting strategy might be necessary, but they are where we should go only after examining all the options," he said. "The president, secretary of defense and the taxpayer are going to expect us to make every dollar we do get count. … This is something the country should expect no matter what size the defense budget is."
The Better Buying Power initiative is a response to that challenge, Carter said.
"People ask me, 'Well, can you succeed at this?'" he said. "I think we can. … We have a very clear roadmap [and] clear and reasonable objectives coming from taxpayers, warfighters and our leadership. We also have the staunch support of the president, secretary of defense and Congress."
Carter's final message to the industrial leaders was that the Defense Department needs the capabilities they can provide, but also needs them to be affordable.
"Whatever you're doing for us, make it possible for us to continue to afford it," he said. "Together, let's bend so we don't need to break our programs and activities, … and this way, I'm sure we can succeed."


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News•October 2, 2012
Report: Can U.S. Carbon Emissions Keep Falling?
Research Report by Climate Central
Report Summary
A Climate Central analysis of the American energy economy shows that the nearly 9 percent reduction in annual carbon emissions in the U.S. since 2005 is unlikely to continue in the years ahead without major departures from the ways energy is currently produced and used.
The upper line shows U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions projected in the AEO Extended Policies scenario (EIA, 2012b). The additional lines describe a hypothetical alternative scenario involving aggressive expansion of natural gas power generation, coal with CO2 capture and storage, expanded renewable electricity, and/or reduced vehicle-miles traveled.
Click image to enlarge.
Recent declines in carbon emissions are the result of a combination of factors including the recession, increased natural gas production and the related decline in coal-fired electricity generation, continuing improvements in efficiencies of energy use, and growth in renewables, particularly wind power. The recession, however, appears to be the most significant factor in the decline.
Consequently, as the economy rebounds the fall in emissions is likely to be neutralized or overtaken by growing population and incomes that will drive increased demand for energy-using appliances, air conditioners, TVs, personal electronic devices, cars, and other amenities. In the face of such growth and the 80 percent reliance of the U.S. on fossil fuels for energy today, modest improvements in energy efficiencies and expansions of lower-carbon energy alternatives will not provide the level of change in the energy economy needed for carbon emissions to fall by 2050 to a level that most climate scientists believe is needed to avoid severe impacts of climate change.
Key findings
Recent reductions in coal-generated electricity, driven primarily by extremely low natural gas prices, have left the existing U.S. fleet of coal-fired power plants operating at only about 50 percent capacity. Gas prices will not remain at historic lows, however, and eventual price increases will make firing up idle coal capacity more competitive, leading to increased CO2 emissions.
Doubling new car MPG by 2025 will produce about a 40 percent reduction in overall fleet gasoline consumption but not more than this since new cars are a small fraction of the total fleet. This 40 percent reduction assumes that the total number of vehicle miles driven by a growing population will be no higher than today, which is unlikely. Historically, increases in total miles driven have more than offset increases in car and light truck MPGs, resulting in increased gasoline consumption and carbon emissions.
If the following hypothetical energy-related changes occur in the U.S. between now and 2035:
- the total number of miles driven by cars and light trucks stays constant at today's level while the average MPG for new cars increases to over 55 MPG in 2035,
- gains continue to be made in the efficiencies of residential, commercial, and industrial energy-using equipment,
- the share of natural gas electricity ramps up from 29 percent today to 44 percent in 2035, with a corresponding reduction to 18 percent in coal's share,
- all coal-fired power plants in 2035 are operated with CO2 capture and storage or alternatively, renewables grow from 5 percent of electricity today to 31 percent by 2035, replacing coal;
then U.S. CO2 emissions in 2035 will decline to 38 percent below the 2005 level. Most climate scientists believe that emission reductions of at least 80 percent of the 2005 level will be needed in the U.S. and other industrialized countries by 2050 to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.


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Two MIT areas have teamed up to help close a gap between good science and good business - a gap that has often prevented important discoveries from making it from the life science laboratory to the public marketplace.
The Biomedical Enterprise Program, the result of a collaboration between the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) and the Sloan School of Management, exposes students - some with solid life science backgrounds, others with extensive experience in business management - to an integrated curriculum focused on the complex process of product development and commercialization in the health care industry.
The goal, according to program founders and advisers, is to create a new generation of leaders for biomedical enterprises.
"For 30 years, HST has been about integrating science, medicine and engineering, but we've ignored the business part, which is a very necessary piece," said Professor Martha Gray, who directs HST and worked with Sloan School counterparts to develop the new program. "The Biomedical Enterprise Program will add that component. And while the cultures of business and life sciences/medicine are fundamentally different, BEP's integrated approach puts these cultures together in a coherent way that demystifies and explains them."
Impetus for BEP came from senior private-sector members of the HST advisory council, said Gray. They saw the need for life scientists to better understand business and for businesspeople to better understand biomedicine. Rather than just add business courses to HST's medical, science and engineering mix, they envisioned a new program that could more fully integrate biomedical and business curricula.
Within a year, HST and Sloan were actively developing curriculum and other program components. By the second year, the Sloan-HST consortium officially launched BEP, which just admitted its first five students. The goal is a maximum enrollment of 30 students.
Graduates of the two-year program receive dual master's degrees, one each from Sloan and HST. Applicants, who must be admitted to both Sloan and HST, must have strong foundations in quantitative science and proven interest in biomedical entrepreneurship. The over-30 average age of the first group of students reflects the experience level sought by BEP.
All of this year's applicants have at least a bachelor's degree in some area of the life sciences and some business experience, ranging from multiple internships to 20 years of experience. "As we proceed, we'll attract entrepreneurs who see this as the go-to area, and businesspeople with sufficient science in their background who realize they need to tool up in this area," said David Weber, director of MIT's Management of Technology program.
Professor James Utterback, faculty chair of the Management of Technology Program, said the public is the ultimate winner from such collaboration. "What's been missing is an efficient way of translating discoveries into commercial products to ensure that what you discover in the clinic or at the bedside becomes available to improve health care," he said. "This program helps close this circle."
That's especially important for regions such as greater Boston that already have a strong biotech industry.
In addition to advancing health care, the biomedical industry is a significant driver for economic development, said Frank R. Landsberger, BEP's executive director. "These companies have a large economic multiplicative effect. Since biomedical product companies are characterized by high-salaried employees, every dollar spent by a biotechnology company generates a significant multiplier in terms of local economic activity. This allows high-cost societies such as ours to be competitive in the world."
That's one of the reasons the new program maintains a consortium relationship with the University of Cambridge in England as part of the Cambridge-MIT Institute. The University of Cambridge is also moving to integrate bioscience and business curricula, and the programs in the two Cambridges will exchange both students and faculty.
The foundation of the Biomedical Enterprise Program is three overlapping areas of curriculum.
The management stream draws from Sloan's executive curriculum and master's of business administration courses, including subjects such as applied economics, marketing management, technology strategy and entrepreneurship.
The HST stream is based on HST's traditional curriculum, covering a range of biomedical science and technology courses, including subjects that develop a fluency in the language of medicine and deeper understanding of such key life science areas as molecular, cellular and systems physiology and pathophysiology.
The integrative stream brings together management, science and medical elements to highlight the issues that arise in these intersecting areas in any biomedical enterprise. Topics include ethics, clinical trials, clinical market penetration, regulatory issues, statistical analysis and biotechnology company development.
Landsberger, who has extensive biomedical experience in both the private sector and academia, said many of the MBAs now going to biotech or pharmaceutical companies lack this kind of coherent understanding.
"Conventional MBA programs don't deal with how to manage science and business when the measure of success is in decades," he said. "They need to know how to manage the uncertainty of the scientific and regulatory processes while raising money and managing an infrastructure that is fundamentally different from making chips or software."
At the same time, "we often hear about the life science inventor who says, 'I can do it all,' but who in fact lacks the management skills required for a lab or division to fully succeed" in turning a scientific development into a business success, Landsberger said.
Students were heavily involved in developing the new program, said Utterback. "The students have been the firmest voices for integration. They understand the need for a program that makes them fluent in both cultures."
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 2, 2002.


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TRIBECA — A wall of a nearly two-century-old building on Canal Street collapsed Wednesday afternoon, the FDNY said, following years of complaints from neighbors and government agencies that it was falling into disrepair.
A wall within 502 Canal St. collapsed about 12:30 p.m., dropping a metal roll-down gate onto the sidewalk, a fire spokesman said.
The landmarked building has been vacant for years, and no one appeared to be injured in the incident, authorities said.
In 2010, the Landmarks Preservation Commission found that the building's facade was so badly deteriorated that it was in danger of collapsing.
The building's landlord, Ponte Equities, quickly agreed to make repairs, which satisfied the commission at the time.
But on March 23, 2012, the landlord was written up for failing to maintain the building's "defective brickwork," according to the Department of Buildings website. The landlord received additional violations in July and October of 2012 after parts of the building fell off and landed on the sidewalk, according to DOB records.
Ponte Equities did not immediately return a call for comment.
The three-story brick building was built in 1819 for John Y. Smith, who ran a starch and hair powder business out of the ground floor and lived with his family above, according to the LPC.
Neighbors have long been concerned about the crumbling structure, said Misha Lopato, 22, who lives in a nearby residential building. Locals have repeatedly called 311 about the rundown Ponte Equities' building, which has been covered with a scaffolding for the past 12 years, Lopato said.
He said he and others in the neighborhood are hoping the city will condemn the structure and tear it down.
"At this point, the whole neighborhood just wants this building gone," he said. "[Ponte] hasn't done any renovations on it. It just looks bad. and more importantly, it's dangerous."


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As any reader of Raymond Chandler will tell you, corruption is as much a part of the L.A. landscape as the transplanted palm trees, the ranch houses disguised as haciendas, and the movie-star impersonators who pose for tourists on Hollywood Boulevard and then demand 10 bucks. It's the noir that gives this sun-bleached city its shadows, allowing the famous and powerful and those who dine with them to slip by unnoticed when they doff their ethics like a five-dollar-hooker's fishnets.
It's against this backdrop of privilege and rot that the case of Mel Gibson and his estranged former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva has taken an unexpected twist. Tabloid readers will remember the details better than what they ate for breakfast: the ugly custody battle over their daughter Lucia, Grigorieva's claims that Gibson punched her in the face and knocked out her front teeth, and the audiotapes of the seemingly unhinged actor snarling a blue streak and accusing the Russian singer of gold-digging him all the way to the poorhouse.
Now come accusations from Gibson's representatives and witnesses to the events, as well as sources inside the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, that D.A. Steve Cooley may have used his influence to help Grigorieva in her battle against Gibson. Cooley, who has faced repeated criticism for his alleged reluctance to prosecute friends and political allies, has had a longtime association with Grigorieva's former attorney, Eric George. Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the D.A.'s office, says allegations that Cooley gave preferential treatment to George are "a ridiculous allegation and fundamentally untrue." Cooley himself declined to comment for this story.
After Gibson's tirade was published on the website Radaronline.com, the D.A.'s office began two separate investigations in July 2010: one into Grigorieva's claims of domestic abuse, and the other into Gibson's allegations that Grigorieva was trying to extort him and released the audiotapes when he wouldn't fork over more money for child support. Ultimately, on March 11, 2011, Cooley's office charged Gibson with misdemeanor battery, but did not charge Grigorieva with extortion. Gibson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, without admitting guilt.
Yet even as his office was looking into Gibson's allegations of extortion, Cooley was getting financial help from Grigorieva's attorney in his 2010 race for California attorney general, a bid he ultimately lost to Kamala Harris. George hosted a fundraiser for the D.A. in his Beverly Hills home and personally contributed $8,492.00 to Cooley's run, according to campaign disclosure documents. George's girlfriend at the time also contributed $3,916; his law partner, Peter Ross, put in $5,000; his client, agent Michael Ovitz, kicked in another $5,000.00; and George's mentor, former governor Pete Wilson, personally contributed $11,500. Wilson's law firm donated an additional $14,500 to Cooley's campaign.
Despite the campaign contributions from Grigorieva's attorney, Cooley didn't recuse himself from the extortion investigation. "Campaign contributions have everything to do with the [D.A.'s] prosecution of political figures, or the lack thereof," says Matthew Monforton, a former deputy district attorney who resigned under protest from the office in 2007 because of what he says was Cooley's refusal to recognize an alleged conflict of interest in a separate case. Adds one current deputy district attorney, "He's basically destroyed the office by tanking prosecutions against his buddies."
Newsweek has learned, however, that despite the decision not to prosecute, the D.A.'s office determined that possible evidence of extortion existed. "There is no question there was admissible evidence of extortion," John Lynch, who was deputy district attorney on the Gibson/Grigorieva case and is now retired, tells Newsweek. The problem, however, was whether the D.A. could get a jury to convict, Lynch says, because of the choice to break the case into two separate investigations, which would have led to two separate trials. "As a practical matter, you have to choose between the two cases. In the one case of domestic abuse, the victim could potentially be a defendant in the other case of extortion. If we'd filed an extortion charge against Ms. Grigorieva and tried to call her as a witness in the domestic abuse case, no defense attorney on the planet would allow her to answer questions."
Mel Gibson says "It doesn't surprise me that there is evidence of extortion in the [case] file, because I know it occurred. What is disturbing is that nobody did anything about it."
Central to the extortion claims were the tapes of Gibson's expletive-filled calls to Grigorieva. The existence of those tapes emerged during settlement negotiations between Gibson and Grigorieva over how much financial support the actor would provide for their daughter. George even told Gibson's lawyers during an initial settlement meeting that while he couldn't disclose the exact nature of the evidence he possessed, they should know that "it would ruin his [Gibson's] career if this got out," according to documents reviewed by Newsweek and eyewitness accounts of the settlement meeting.
At the meeting, George stated that "Oksana needed protection" and told Gibson's lawyers that he had evidence from Grigorieva that he was keeping in a locked safe, according to the accounts of the meeting reviewed by Newsweek. George declined to comment for this story, as did Grigorieva and her representatives.
During a second settlement meeting on March 16, 2010, George and his former law partner, Sonia Lee, played a tape recording by Grigorieva of her and Gibson speaking on the phone, according to the documents and sources present at the meeting. Grigorieva's attorneys then showed Gibson's lawyers a picture of her in which the veneers on her two front teeth were missing. George proceeded to demand that Gibson pay at least "$10 million dollars in support" to his client, and allegedly said that if the audiotapes were released, it would have a highly negative impact on Gibson's career, the sources said. Lee declined to comment for this article.
After one of the audiotapes was played to Gibson's attorneys, Grigorieva sent an email to the actor that later wound up in the court record: "As far as the audiotapes go, I only played one to my lawyer, because on March 15 [Gibson's attorney] Michelle [Mulrooney] proposed on ur behalf not a very generous gift for our daughter and there was nothing for me," Grigorieva wrote in the email, which was reviewed by Newsweek. "My lowers [sic] also told me that [Gibson attorney] Tom Hansen said I wouldn't get a penny and more importaunly [sic], my lowers warned me that ur lawyers are capable of false fabrication about me in press. . . ." The judge in the case ordered that all copies of the tapes be handed over to the court and placed under seal. But the tapes were then published on Radaronline.
The investigation by the D.A.'s office yielded numerous texts and emails—since reviewed by Newsweek--that demonstrate Grigorieva threatened to publish the audiotapes of Gibson unless he agreed to her settlement demands. One witness told sheriff's investigators that Grigorieva had her listen to the audiotapes and talked about releasing them if the actor didn't pay her more money, documents reviewed by the magazine reveal. "I don't want to have to play the audiotapes, but if I have to, I will. If things don't work out the way I want them to, I will," Grigorieva said, according to the witness's account. "I remember her saying the proposed settlement was 'nothing,'" the witness recalls. "She called it 'a miniscule amount. Not enough.'" Detectives also uncovered emails between Grigorieva and George in which the lawyer allegedly told her the best way to get a settlement from Gibson was to keep the actor from seeing his child. One source who was present at the mediation says he had concerns about what was occurring and went out of his way to warn George that he was potentially engaging in extortion.
After more negotiations, the parties reached an agreement that would have provided Grigorieva and daughter Lucia with a $15 million settlement, to be paid over several years until Lucia's 18th birthday, according to lawyers for both sides. But Grigorieva later rejected the agreement, without informing George, and retained another lawyer to seek a temporary restraining order against Gibson in hopes of getting a bigger settlement, according to sources familiar with the talks. Grigorieva ultimately settled her custody battle with Gibson for a tiered payment of $750,000 and $20,000.00 per month in child support, according to these sources.
The lead investigator, Sheriff's Detective Rod Wagner, refused to sign off on the district attorney's decision not to charge Grigorieva with extortion, and sent a memo to the district attorney's office stating that he clearly believed extortion had been committed. Gibbons, the D.A. spokeswoman, characterized Wagner's statements as "his opinion," and noted that Wagner is not an attorney. Contacted by phone, Detective Wagner refused to comment on those proceedings or anything involving the Gibson case.
Lynch, the retired deputy district attorney on the investigation, says that he and Cooley ultimately made the right decision not to charge Grigorieva with extortion, because of the difficulty of winning. But he also stresses that the ultimate decision was Cooley's, not his. "If Cooley didn't approve the decision, it wouldn't have been made." Gibbons, the D.A. spokeswoman, says, "Mr. Cooley was briefed and agreed with the decision presented by the legal staff that reviewed the case. But he is the District Attorney and the buck stops with him. If he disagrees with a filing decision, he'll say so. In this instance, he was briefed and agreed with the decisions brought forth by Mr. Lynch that was presented at the meetings in our office."
Cooley has decided not to seek a fourth term as D.A. and will be leaving office after the November election. But his critics say they fear his legacy will live on. He has endorsed his loyal lieutenant, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jackie Lacey, in her race to become his replacement, despite strong criticism of her from the deputy district attorney's union. The enmity between the union and Lacey stems from her testimony at hearings of the city's Employee Relations Committee into Cooley's efforts to break up the Association of Deputy District Attorneys. According to transcripts from the hearings reviewed by Newsweek, Lacey originally testified that Cooley had threatened a deputy district attorney regarding his intention to join the union and then later claimed that she'd answered incorrectly because of low blood sugar. Lacey did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
Cooley is currently prohibited under a federal court injunction from engaging in anti-union activities, and sources tell Newsweek that the FBI has begun questioning D.A. employees who complained of corruption and political favoritism in the D.A.'s office following Cooley's campaign against the union. (Gibbons says "we are unaware of any such activity by the FBI"). Says former deputy D.A. Monforton, who now represents the union in its lawsuit against the D.A.'s office and L.A. County stemming from the union-busting allegations: "The only reason Cooley is supporting Lacey for district attorney is to insure a successor who will cover his tracks." Attorney Brian Hershman, who is representing Cooley and the county in the union lawsuit, says that the complaint is without merit and was "filed by a handful of deputy district attorneys out of more than a thousand who report to Mr. Cooley, and he has widespread support from the vast majority of staff and deputy district attorneys."


text:
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
(Lady Macbeth von Mzensk) (1932)Libretto by Alexander Preis and Dmitri Shostakovich after the short story by Nikolai Leskov (R)
3S,A,9T,2Bar,highB,8B-chorus; 2.picc.2.corA.2.Ebcl.bcl.2.dbn-184.108.40.206-timp.perc:tgl/flex/wdbl,/tamb/SD/BD/cyms/tam-t/glsp/xyl-2hp-cel-org (ad lib.)-strings; additional brass:8crt.4tpt.12hn(4A.4T.4Bar).4tuba
Abbreviations (PDF)
Maly Opera Theatre, Leningrad
Nikolai Smolich and Vladimir Dmitriev, dir
Conductor: Samuil Samosud
Company: Small Opera Theatre of the State Academy
BORIS TIMOFEYEVICH ISMAILOV, a merchant | High Bass |
ZINOVY BORISOVICH ISMAILOV, his son, a merchant | Tenor |
KATERINA LVOVNA ISMAILOVA, wife of Zinovy Borisovich | Soprano |
SERGEI, employed by the Ismailovs | Tenor |
A DRUNK | Tenor |
AKSINYA | Soprano |
MILL-HAND | Baritone |
STEWARD | Bass |
TWO WORKMEN | Tenors |
COACHMAN | Tenor |
A NIHILIST | Tenor |
PRIEST | Bass |
POLICE SERGEANT | Baritone |
POLICEMAN | Bass |
DRUNKEN GUEST | Tenor |
SERGEANT | Bass |
SENTRY | Bass |
SONETKA, a convict | Contralto |
OLD CONVICT | Bass |
FEMALE CONVICT | Soprano |
Workpeople, Foremen, Policemen, Guests, Convicts |
Kursk Gubernia, Russia, mid-19th century
Katerina is bored of life with her husband Zinovy Ismailov, a rich provincial merchant. When Zinovy leaves on business, his suspicious father Boris makes her swear faithfulness to his son. The workmen in the yard molest the fat cook Aksinia and encourage the foreman Sergei to rape her for their amusement. Katerina comes out to defend Aksinia whereupon Sergei seizes her hand with its wedding-ring on one finger and squeezes it until it hurts. Katerina feels weak before Sergei's strength. That night Sergei visits Katerina in her bedroom and seduces her. In his son's absence, Boris decides himself to sleep with his daughter-in-law. To his rage, he finds Sergei coming out of her room. He whips the foreman mercilessly, after which he demands food from Katerina. In revenge, she gives him poisoned mushrooms and he suffers an agonizing death. Making love in her bedroom with Sergei, Katerina sees the ghost of Boris cursing her, but is unafraid. When her husband Zinovy returns, she strangles him with Sergei's help, and hides the body in a cellar. Her regular checking of the cellar is noticed by a drunken peasant who goes there himself, expecting to find hidden vodka. Seeing Zinovy's body, he runs to tell the police. Displeased and bored not to have been invited to Katerina and Sergei's wedding, the police are delighted to hear about the body. They rush to interrupt the wedding feast, Katerina confesses everything, and she and Sergei are arrested. A large group of convicts, including Katerina and Sergei, is travelling to Siberia and stops for the night beside a lake. Sergei has now tired of Katerina and flirts with the beautiful young Sonyetka. When Katerina tries to get him back, he asks her for her stockings, saying he is cold. She gives them to him, but he passes them straight on to Sonyetka and together he and Sonyetka mock Katerina. In rage and despair, Katerina drags Sonyetka and herself into the lake, where they both drown.
One of the masterpieces of Shostakovich's early years, and one of the great operas of the 20th century, 'Lady Macbeth' is a masterly and thrilling musical version of a terrifying tale by the 19th century writer Nikolai Leskov. From the very beginning of its existence this opera has provoked passionate admiration and almost equally passionate condemnation.
The story tells of a young woman of the deep provinces, Katerina Izmailova, who, lonely and bored with her marriage and her life, takes a lover, the foreman Sergei. With the connivance of Sergei, she murders first her rich father-in-law and then her husband, thereby becoming owner of the rich mill that had belonged to them. But her crime is discovered and she and Sergei are condemned to exile in Siberia. When Sergei takes another convict, Sonia, as his new mistress, the betrayed Katerina hurls Sonia and herself into a deep river where they both drown.
To write the music of what is, to all intents and purposes, a melodramatic thriller, Shostakovich returned to the language of 19th century Russian composers and to the example of Verdi. The result is one of the most vocal operas of its time, in which the drama is unfolded through brilliant arches of solo and choral sound, interspersed with brutal or melancholy orchestral interludes and outbursts. The effect is to lift a pessimistic tale of ignorance, coarseness and violence to the level of high tragedy.
Early productions of 'Lady Macbeth' from 1934 onwards were so successful that the opera was quickly taken up internationally. In January 1936 Stalin and his henchmen visited a production of the opera in Moscow and, a few days later, a virulent and scurrilous official campaign was launched against the composer, beginning with a world-notorious article headed 'Muddle instead of Music' which branded him as decadent, pornographic, bourgeois, pro-western, and, in sum, anti-Soviet. This turned out to be the signal for the start of one of Stalin's most vengeful and repressive campaigns against the Soviet intelligentsia as a whole. Shostakovich's career was, at least temporarily, in ruins. The opera was hardly to be revived again until the 1960s, when it appeared in a revised and toned-down version (see op.114). Since the rediscovery of the original version in the 1980s, this opera has hardly been absent from the international operatic scene. It may now be considered standard repertory.
Note by Gerard McBurney
Galina Vishnevskaya, Nicolai Gedda, Dimiter Petkov, Werner Krenn, Robert Tear, Taru Valjakka, Martyn Hill, Leonard Andrzej Mróz, Aage Haugland, Birgit Finnilä, Alexander Malta, Leslie Fyson, Steven Emmerson, John Noble, Colin Appleton, Alan Byers, James Lewington, Oliver Broome, Edgar Fleet, David Beavan, Linda Richardson, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich
EMI CDM 567 776-2 (2CDs)


text:
First Day Of My Life - Bright Eyes
This is the first day of my life
Swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed
They're spreading blankets on the beach
Yours was the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been
But I know where I want to go
So I thought I'd let you know
That these things take forever, I am especially slow
But I realized how I need you
And I wondered if I could come home
I remember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed
You felt as if you just woke up
And you said,
"This is the first day of my life.
Glad I didn't die before i met you.
Now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you.
And I'd probably be happy."
So if you want to be with me
With these things there's no telling,
We'll just have to wait and see
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides, maybe this time is different
I mean, I really think you like me


text:
Our blinding attraction to drama has captivated so many of us. We love to live it, watch it, or even worse, create it. Nowadays it appears as if everyone has a "dramatic" story about his next-door neighbor, her estranged friend, their friend's rude relative, etc. According to a recent survey, nearly half of our nation's younger generation watches more reality television than they did last year, with those aged 18 to 25 watching close to four reality shows a week.
As if that were not enough, we are increasingly YouTubing, Facebooking, Twittering and texting ourselves into oblivion.
How about our growing addiction to alcohol? According to newly published data, one in every six Americans consumes eight mixed drinks within a few hours four times a month. Twenty-eight percent of us between the ages of 18 and 24 drink five times a month with the intention of becoming intoxicated.
Why do people dedicate so much time and effort to such futile preoccupations? Why do so many choose to be mentally and emotionally absent, via a variety of distractions, for significant portions of their everyday lives?
The first reason I'd suggest, which relates to our fascination with drama, is based in a grotesque form of egotism. When we see TV shows infested with lowly behavior and inappropriate comportment, it makes us feel good without our having to budge from the sofa. It's a delightful pat on the back. It reassures us we are good people, despite the pangs of a guilty conscience that may periodically attempt to force us out of our comfort zone.
It certainly is true that in the republic of boorishness, mediocrity is king.
The second reason, which also relates to our attraction to drama, can be categorized as "modern voyeurism." Human beings have an innate curiosity to explore the outside instead of the inside, the "you," "him" and "her" in lieu of the "I." This voyeurism is an easy way out of the long and tedious road to self-refinement.
Finally, there is a third reason – one that speaks to most of life's deviations. It is best described as "escapism," and it too is an effortless yet deceptive way out of misery. Decades ago, Walter Cannon, the renowned American physiologist, famously explained that when faced with challenges, human beings must choose between "fight" and "flight." They can combat their difficulties or flee from them. Unfortunately, our gravitation toward drama and the many other modern-day distractions points to the growing tendency to flee from life's moral responsibilities.
But can we truly rid ourselves of our prevailing drive to explore? Is it really wrong to flee from reality when stress threatens to invade?
The answer lies in the very definition of "man." Centuries ago, the Talmudic Sages taught that the creation of man resembles the fusion of an animal and God. "In some ways humans are like the ministering angels of God. In other ways, they are like animals" (Chagigah 16a). In fact, the word for "man" in Hebrew – adam – conveys a dual meaning: on the one hand, it means earth and materialism; on the other, its meaning indicates a resemblance to God.
Perhaps this existential dichotomy explains our perpetual restlessness. Since two contrary dynamics exist in the fabrics of our being, we frequently vacillate between them. Sometimes we find ourselves enthralled by animalistic behaviors from within and from without, while at other times we heed to a higher calling from God and His ministering angels.
Unshackling ourselves from this inherent vacillation is close to impossible. Our powerful drive to diverge and explore will always exist. We must, however, learn how to funnel it from the selfish, hollow and animal self to the altruistic, purposeful and divine self. Our lives, and the lives that surround us, will then be filled with true joy, lasting serenity, and contagious kindness.
Finally, we also ought to remember that most challenges cannot simply disappear. True, every now and then temporary diversions from life can help us refresh and rejuvenate. But they cannot become permanent, for the vast majority of challenges will pursue us until we find the focus, courage and conviction to tackle them thoroughly and persuasively.
Moreover, we must rid ourselves of the perception that life's blessings, such as peace and happiness, can be found outside. The "you," "him" and "her" will never be able to substitute the blessings of the "I." Indeed, the only path to self-improvement and genuine joy are introspection and the meticulous study of the inner self.
Years ago, as a teenager struggling with identity questions, I turned to my dear mentor, the world-renowned scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, for guidance.
"You seem troubled," he said, "but I'm happy to find you in this situation."
After a short pause and with his characteristic, engulfing smile, he explained: "You see, human beings are like electricity. In order to produce light, we too need a negative pole and a positive pole. Channel your thoughts and efforts from your negative pole toward your positive one. Create a circuit of positive thoughts and good actions, and your life will then surely engender light."


text:
Two people familiar with the decision says the Maloof family has agreed to sell the Sacramento Kings to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Sunday night because the deal is still pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors.
One person said the Maloofs are selling all 65 percent of their share for $525 million to Hansen, who will move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name.
The Maloofs will still be allowed to look at other bids until the league approves the sale.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said last week he had received permission from NBA Commissioner David Stern to present a counteroffer to league owners from buyers who would keep the Kings in Sacramento.
The deadline for teams to apply for a move for the next season is March 1.


text:
Dear NYT: No Means No; Shoving A Dick Into An Unconscious Person Is Rape. Any Questions?
Katrin Bennhold of the New York Times has a heartwarming piece for anyone planning a New Year's Eve hookup.
According to Bennhold's friends, consenting to any sex with a dude is the equivalent of giving him an all-access pass to your orifices for the rest of the night, if not the rest of your life.
This is a true VIP pass. His privileges don't lapse if you're unconscious, even if you ordered him not to touch you in a certain way before you fell asleep.
Bennhold writes:
PARIS — Is it rape when you have sex with someone who didn't tell you it was O.K., but told you it was O.K. earlier that night?
According to a leaked police report, Swedish prosecutors want to question Mr. Assange on allegations of rape in only one of the two cases: The woman in question, a WikiLeaks groupie, let him spend the night at her apartment and had consensual sex with him at least once (reportedly with a condom). She then testified to falling asleep and being woken later by him penetrating her (without a condom).
She only went to the police days afterward, when she discovered by talking to another woman with whom Mr. Assange had stayed that the second woman, too, felt violated after he was reluctant to use a condom and then allegedly "did something" to make it break. (The allegation here is sexual molestation.)
In recent conversations, reactions among my girlfriends — all in their 30s, and most in steady, heterosexual relationships — were forceful, and almost unanimous.
"It cheapens rape," one said.
"Why get the police into the bedroom over something like this? Grow up," said another.
"He sounds really sleazy," said a third, "but not exactly like a rapist."
When we think about rape, many of us still imagine a stranger jumping out from hiding and violating a woman with a severe degree of force.
[Emphases added.]
Bennhold's lede lies: "Is it rape when you have sex with someone who didn't tell you it was O.K., but told you it was O.K. earlier that night?"
Wait a minute. According to the author's own scenario, Assange's accuser, Ms. W. did not tell him that it was okay to have sex with her without a condom. On the contrary, Ms. W. categorically refused sex without a condom. She was reportedly so firm in her resolve that Assange initially gave up and fell asleep rather than accommodate her desire for protected sex.
Later on, he changed his mind and agreed to protected sex with her. Still later, he allegedly took advantage of the fact that she was asleep to do to her exactly what she'd ordered him not to do. When she woke up and asked Assange if he was wearing anything, he allegedly replied, "I'm wearing you."**
Bennhold goes on to discuss implied consent. This is a total red herring, unless her unstated premise is that all women lapse into implied consent the minute they fall asleep.
There is no question of implied consent in this scenario. Instead, we have an explicit refusal for a particular sex act, a refusal that remains infuriatingly, inexplicably invisible to many people even after they acknowledge that i) she repeatedly refused sex without condoms and demonstrated that her consent was conditional upon condoms, and ii) she was unconscious when her partner penetrated her without one.
Penetrating a sleeping person is rape all by itself. Unconscious people can't consent to anything. I've heard a million specious counter-examples about a bedmates propositioning their sleepy partner for the same kind of sex they just had. Seducing a sleepy but responsive partner is not even in the same conceptual universe as shoving your penis (or anything else) into someone who is out cold.
Even in a sleepy sex scenario, the argument is that if someone enjoyed the last sex act, you have a little more leeway to assume that they're okay with a repeat. That's a dangerous assumption to make even with a long-term, trusted partner. It's an utterly reckless thing to assume about a stranger.
But even in these sleepy sex scenarios, the seduction of someone who isn't quite in control of their faculties is justified by the notion that they consented to the exact same thing earlier.
According to Ms. W., Assange foisted a kind of sex on her that she had explicitly refused.
What if the roles were reversed? Suppose a woman has consensual intercourse with a man who specifically requests that she not shove a dildo up his ass. She gives him several chances to change his mind, but he keeps saying no. So, she waits until he falls asleep and shoves the dildo up his ass.
Obvious rapist, right?
Somehow, the fact that the victim had one kind of consensual sex with this woman and let her fall asleep in his bed doesn't confuse anyone.
I've heard it said that what Assange allegedly did to Ms. W. is just "bad manners" in the bedroom, not something for the police to be involved in. Penetrating someone against their will is "bad manners" in the bedroom like a punch in the jaw is "bad manners" in a barroom.
**We don't know if Assange did what Bennhold alleges. My point is simply that if these allegations are true, then he's clearly and unequivocally a rapist. More over, if he did this, he's not just a rapist-under-weird-Swedish-law. Someone who did what Assange allegedly did to Ms. W. in America would be a rapist under staid U.S. rape laws.